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Writer Tony Isabella developed the concept of a new team of superheroes and originally wanted the roster to consist of former X-MenAngel and Iceman, and the newly created Black Goliath.[1] Black Goliath became unavailable when the character debuted in his own title,[2] forcing Isabella to rethink the concept.[1] Editor Len Wein insisted on at least five members, and Isabella added three established heroes: Russian spyBlack Widow (team leader), the Greek godHercules, and the supernatural avenger Ghost Rider.[3][4]Captain Marvel, Power Man, and the Son of Satan were all considered for the final place on the roster before selecting Ghost Rider.[1] Writer and publisher David Anthony Kraft is credited with naming the team,[1] with the title originally intended to be published in Giant-Size format as Giant-Size Champions. Production difficulties, which caused a three-month delay between the first and second issues, prevented this.[1] The title was eventually published as The Champions, and ran for seventeen issues from October 1975 to January 1978.[5] In addition to Don Heck, artists who drew the series include George Tuska, Bob Hall, and John Byrne.[6]

The group briefly reunite in a X-Force/Champions Annual.[26] In a humorous issue of the second volume of The Thing, the character Flatman — a member of the misfit team the Great Lakes Avengers — wins a poker tournament and renames his team the Great Lakes Champions, despite protests from Hercules.[27] An issue of The Incredible Hulk features a flashback to a period when the Champions were still together. The team mistakenly attack the Hulk, with the delay almost killing a gravely ill Jennifer Walters.[28]

Since 1987, Heroic Publishing has used the name "The Champions" for a role-playing game series which has been adapted into comic books. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has ruled that Marvel abandoned its trademark of the name and can no longer use "The Champions" as the name of a comic book series. A planned 2007 revival of the series was renamed The Order.[29]

^Markstein, Don (2009). "The Champions". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2013. Editor Len Wein...saw them as a two-man group, and mandated that a group must have at least five members. One must be super-strong, one must be female, and at least one must have his own comic. Hence, the addition of Marvel's version of Hercules as the strong guy, The Black Widow (fresh from a relationship with Daredevil) as the female guy and The Ghost Rider as the guy with a title of his own.

^Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1970s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. p. 101. ISBN978-0756692360. Bill Mantlo was the regular scribe of both Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Champions...The Champions had recently been cancelled, and Mantlo decided to tie up a few of the title's loose ends in his other comic.

^Cronin, Brian (January 28, 2010). "Comic Book Legends Revealed #245". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013. Marvel did seek and was granted registration of the trademark it was using for that title. That registration, however, was not granted until several months after the title had ceased publication. In the mid-80s, on the basis of that registration, Marvel contested registration of the mark Hero Games was using at that time for its Champions role-playing game. The trademark board took notice of Marvel’s abandonment of their earlier mark, and cancelled that registration.